User blog:Deathblade 100/Season 3 Finale: Hannibal Barca vs William Wallace
In ancient warfare, there have been many great generals throughout history but, there are only a few that engaged a nation larger than their own. These are two such men. Hannibal Barca- The Carthaginian general whose army of elephants terrorised Rome; the greatest empire of its time VS. William Wallace- The legendary Scottish Rebel; who lead a bloodthirsty army of Highlanders against the mighty English Empire. WHO…IS…DEADLIEST? To find out the history of war and modern science collide, as we test the weapons and tactics used by these instruments of war. We dissect their strengths and weaknesses and file them in for an all new battle to the death. It’s no rules, no safety, no mercy. It’s a duel to the death as we find out who is the Deadliest Warrior. Hannibal Barca Hannibal Barca (248 BC-183 or 182 BC) was one of the sons of Hamilcar Barca, a Carthaginian leader and general. Following Carthage's defeat in the First Punic War at the hands of the Romans, Hamilcar sought to improve Carthage's fortunes by conquering the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Portugal and Spain). It was there that he famously had his son Hannibal swear to dedicate his life to the destruction of Rome. After his father's death in battle and his brother-in-law Hasdrubal's assassination, Hannibal was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Carthaginian army. In 218 BC, he led a force of 38,000 infantry, 8,000 cavalry, and 37 war elephants through the Alps, intending to invade Italy from the north. Although almost half of his men and almost all of his elephants perished on the journey, Hannibal won a series of battles against the Romans and occupied much of the peninsula for the next 15 years. Finally, Hannibal was recalled to Carthage to defend against a Roman invasion under Scipio Africanus. Scipio fought Hannibal in the past and so was able to counter his War Elephants effectively. In the Battle of Zama, Scipio's army opened large gaps in their lines to allow the Elephants to easily avoid the soldiers, knowing that Elephants are pacifist animals. After his defeat at the Battle of Zama effectively ended the Second Punic War, Hannibal lost much of his popularity. Nevertheless, he was able to secure election to the office of suffete, or chief magistrate and helped Carthage to renewed prosperity. The Romans, alarmed that their defeated foes were recovering so quickly, ordered Hannibal to surrender to them. Instead, Hannibal went into voluntary exile and the Romans pursued him for over a decade. Finally cornered in Asia Minor, Hannibal poisoned himself using toxins said to be hidden in a ring. He would rather die than surrender to Rome and her armies. Hannibal would later go on to be one of the most celebrated generals in history, having never lost a battle until Zama. Weapons Hannibal crossed the Alps with: |-| Long Range= Soliferrum *Length: 5 feet *Weight: 7 LB *Range: 30 feet *Material: Iron |-| Mid Range= Falarica *Length: 6 feet *Weight: 9 LB *Material: Spanish Steel |-| Close Range= Falcata *Length: 26 inches *Weight: 2.5 LB *Material: Bronze handle, Spanish Steel blade |-| Special= Sling *Length: 1 foot *Weight: 1 LB *Material: Natural Fibre *Range: 100 metres |-| Armour= Musculata *Weight: 45 LB *Material: Bronze, Steel and Wood William Wallace Sir William Wallace '''(1273-1305) was a Scottish knight and landowner who is known for leading a resistance during the Wars of Scottish Independence and is known today in Scotland as a patriot and national hero. Wallace's father and brother were killed by a English knight. William Wallace began his fight for independence by killing the son of the English governor of Dundee, who had been bullying Wallace and his family. In 1291 or 1292, he killed the son of an English noble, named Selby, with a dirk. However, Wallace's most well-documented early combat occurred in 1297, when he killed William Heselrig, the English Sheriff of Lanark, supposedly to avenge the murder of Marion Braidfute, a young maiden Wallace had courted and wed. On September 11, 1297, Wallace's forces won the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Although vastly outnumbered, the Scottish forces routed the English army by funneling them across a narrow bridge, which would collapse later in the battle, sending many English soldiers to a watery grave. After the battle, Wallace was knighted, possibly by Robert the Bruce (who later become King of Scots), and was named "Guardian of Scotland and Leader of its armies." In the months that followed, Wallace led a raid on Northern England. The following year, Wallace was defeated at the Battle of Falkirk, but managed to evade capture until August 5, 1305, when a Scottish knight loyal to England turned him over to the English. He was transported to London, where he was convicted of treason. On August 23, Wallace was hanged, drawn, and quartered, strangled by hanging but released while still alive, eviscerated and had his bowels burnt before him, and was finally beheaded while his body was cut into four parts. Weapons: Wallace counters: |-| Long Range= '''Ball and Chain *Length: 3 feet *Weight: 14 LB *Range: 10 feet *Material: Steel |-| Mid Range= Claymore *Length: 5 feet *Weight: 6 LB *Material: Steel |-| Close Range= War Hammer *Length: 30 inches inches *Weight: 3.5 LB *Material: Steel |-| Special= Throwing Spear *Length: 6 feet *Weight: 3 LB *Material: Wood, Steel *Range: 50 metres |-| Armour= Chainmail *Weight: 30 LB *Material: Steel Personal Edges Long Range: Hannibal. A javelin beats a weighted chain any day of the week. Mid Range: Hannibal. The Claymore has more killing power at close range, but the Falarica can be thrown and is much longer. Close Range: Wallace. The Warhammer can piece armour and crush bones as well as being the longer of the two while, the Falcata can only cut and thrust. Special: Wallace. The sling is nigh worthless as a weapon. The spear can at least get a kill. Armour: Draw. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Battle Hannibal: William: Brittania Hannibal and four of his mercenary army; one Iberian, one Numidian, one Balearic Islander and one fellow Carthaginian, advance over a hill and into an open field. As they advanced, a weighted chain flew over one of the head of the Carthaginian general. As the Carthaginian force looked, they noticed a group of five men with strange patterned clothes and mail in the distance. Hannibal orders his Numidian horseman to counter attack. As the Numidian charged, Soliferrum drawn, one Scot runs forward spear in hand. As the Scot advanced, the Soliferrum left the Numidian's hand piercing the Highlander's chainmail and puncturing the Scot's chest. Another Scot raised his own throwing spear and hurled it into the Numidian. Hannibal draws his Falcata and orders his men to advance. The Balearic Islander picks a lead shot from his pouch and, after building momentum, hurled it from his sling. The lead projectile impacting a Highlander, crushing the Scot's forehead. X-Factors Total X-Facxtors Notes Battle will be 5 vs 5 and set in an open field. Votes must have good spelling, punctuation and grammar. Votes must also be at least one paragraph long and readable. Voting ends on the 18th of October. Category:Blog posts